MEMBER UPDATE: Cambodia and Thailand cooperate on transboundary biodiversity conservation and landscape management

In an important new development, transboundary cooperation on protected areas and landscape management has begun between Cambodia and Thailand to enhance biodiversity conservation and sustainable development of connected ecosystems.

As neighbouring countries, both Cambodia and Thailand have a number of protected areas that are located near the border between the two nations. These areas include Banteay Chhmar Protected Landscape (Cambodia), which borders Ta Phraya National Park (Thailand); Samlaut Multiple Use Area (Cambodia) and Phnom Somkos Wildlife Sanctuary (Cambodia), which border Namtok Klong Kaew National Park (Thailand); and Preah Vihear Protected Landscape (Cambodia), which borders Phu Chong-Na Yoi National Park (Thailand).

The Director General of the General Directorate of the Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection (GDANCP), Ministry of Environment of Cambodia, and the Director General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) for Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 31 January 2018 in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in an effort to enhance transboundary biodiversity conservation and protection between the two countries.

From 27 to 29 June 2018, GDANCP and DNP conducted a workshop and held a consultation meeting in Bangkok to develop a five-year cooperation plan and identify key steps for transboundary biodiversity conservation and landscape management. The plan will guide the activities on transboundary biodiversity conservation and landscape management that were agreed upon in the MoU, including knowledge and best practices exchange, development of institutional and human resources, and promotion of coordinated research and study. The key steps will be to conduct an initial feasibility assessment of transboundary landscapes, select the priority areas for cooperation, and refine the details of how this bilateral cooperation should be implemented.

The Ministry of Environment is the key agency responsible for environmental protection and natural resources conservation and livelihood improvement through community protected areas. The General Directorate of Administration for Nature Conservation and Protection (GDANCP) is responsible for managing all protected areas and for developing and implementing the protected areas strategic management plans for the sustainability of natural resources and livelihoods.

The Asia Protected Areas Partnership is generously supported by the Ministry of Environment Republic of Korea, the Korea National Park Service and the Ministry of the Environment Japan.